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bemildred

(90,061 posts)

26. We are socialized according to the society we live in.

Reply to oldhippie (Original post)

Mon Feb 3, 2014, 08:30 PM

Feb 2014

It is the first thing a child must learn, how society expects it to act. That can be compassionate, or not. Boys are often taught to suppress compassion. Women are supposed to emphasize it.

This socialization may fail, if the child is not properly cared for. And people are often lousy parents.

And some people just have more natural inclinations in one direction or the other. Empathy is tied to structures in the brain, and these may vary. Those structures seem to be of recent origin, possibly developed as we became more intensely social, and a good reading of the mood of our fellows became more essential.

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Is compassion required to be a human being? [View all] oldhippie Feb 2014 OP

of course it is. Deep13 Feb 2014 #1

No. If that were true, we wouldn't have psychopaths ergo sociopaths. Cleita Feb 2014 #2

Actually both make a strong case otherwise Scootaloo Feb 2014 #15

Yeah, that's something to think about. Cleita Feb 2014 #16

Altruism is an conspecies trait, yeah Scootaloo Feb 2014 #18

Yes, compassion is innate. So is greed. liberal_at_heart Feb 2014 #3

I don't think greed is innate. ananda Feb 2014 #13

The great fear of scarity is induced by nature mostly Fumesucker Feb 2014 #30

Nope. Lots of folks running around out there with none of it. Squinch Feb 2014 #4

No gollygee Feb 2014 #5

Is a conscience the same as compassion? nt oldhippie Feb 2014 #7

Compassion requires empathy gollygee Feb 2014 #8

That doesn't make it a norm though, indeed, sociopathy is generally regarded as pathological... Humanist_Activist Feb 2014 #19

Yes but if you can be a human being and not have compassion gollygee Feb 2014 #20

I don't see how that follows, I would view sociopathy as a type of disability... Humanist_Activist Feb 2014 #23

He asked if having compassion is an inherent part of being a human being gollygee Feb 2014 #24

I think it can be taught or destroyed Warpy Feb 2014 #6

Just for hippies RobertEarl Feb 2014 #9

Hey Buddy! How ya doin'? oldhippie Feb 2014 #11

Since you aked: Starfish RobertEarl Feb 2014 #14

Sorry I asked ..... oldhippie Feb 2014 #25

Sure RobertEarl Feb 2014 #28

Not to be a himan being, only to be a humane being. eom uppityperson Feb 2014 #10

Obviously not YarnAddict Feb 2014 #12

I believe that human compassion billh58 Feb 2014 #17

No, but it sure helps. n/t Aerows Feb 2014 #21

Obviously not Armstead Feb 2014 #22

We are socialized according to the society we live in. bemildred Feb 2014 #26

No 2naSalit Feb 2014 #27

Compassion certainly isn't required to be a republican, or a member of the upper 1%. Initech Feb 2014 #29

See the film, "12 Years A Slave" for your answer. Yavin4 Feb 2014 #31

Yes... If You Want To Be A Humane Being... WillyT Feb 2014 #32

No and yes. rrneck Feb 2014 #33